Wheel unit



June 30; 1931. A, c. wlsNER E'r AL 1,812,128

WHEEL UNITl Filed Oct. 2, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet v. ,-.W/Z. Y Nwwmd w, M\\ M M ,W\\ J Ill H y W l q HJW 4 N f c@ L NN #EN 9 k\ N\ n ww www A MQ \N um. u I kun M. RN @i @my Raw. .wmwlINiiwN Www@ i m M.. A v KN ABReMo. wIsNEmoF .iAcxsoN, MICHIGAN;

Patented `June 30, i

v WHEEL' UNrr'f Appucatipn'med ocfobergz,

Our inyention "relates-i to "wheel unitsV suit- "able for use on` freight and passenger rail-4 .Way cars, andmaybe considered as-an'improvement over our pending application, Se-

' Another object? is provideV separateroll-rv,`

. ing bearings ffo'r load-carrying and for "axial" ings. The purpose of this is to'brin'g the lad-y carrying bearings'asjnearaspossible tofthe points at Which'the' load rests upon thefaxle;

, Another objec't is to provide'y anw outsideV thrust-,sand so arranged thatythethrustbear-" ings will bebetween theloadcarryingy bears;

stiening tube" or `s'leewe between the wheels,n which tube will permitfofay dilerential move ment of the wheels, and which 'at thesarney partsfy 141 and `f 16. Thev parts g14 and l'fpro-,g Vvidean overlanpingjointand in'this overlapl time -maypaetfasapul1ey,".or may carryja pulley, for dr-ivingamotor.` Y :Vj

' Still other obj cts, including' a novel '30T for `oiling, and simplicity and-convenience of construction, will appear-Uintlie :descrip- In .theaccornpanying ,drawszings/` Fig. 1 is' al longitudinal sectionfof one vend'.y

' of our wheel unit, together Vwithafsection of a standard box, certain parts offthe unit be'-` ing brokenaway;f l

Fig.y 2 is van elevation, ati-ay rjeduced scale,`""

1;'and'v 1' y Fig. 3 is in Fig. 1.

meer ifea-ioni.. .mit Y In l'the Said therejis an interior stationary axle 10,r which corresponds in size andproportions torthe rotating alxle of any orl c dinary wheel "unit, yand `fan exteriorvr tubular axle transversely'dividedA into: two parts, to

the outerlends of which parts are secured thef' v`wheels 11 and 125 -Ifn Fig. lfthe left hand part of this tubularA axle 'consists .ofpieces The inner tubes 13 Athe ktube 15, and,

'Whilet y v n idlytorether, andk the iparts p15yandf16 .are k; similarly securedfthelbarts 14 and 15are` a running fit thru the distance 5in v vhichone j Y overlaps therother; This is vfor the vnurp'os'e 875i Y jf@- the other. Theiength ofwhe'veulebe., tween andll is 'preferablvQreaterthaml ofthe, Complte unit Shown input'. thedmmeter 'of the tube;1 4.-the purpose; off;

`thisloner'overlap beingfto'bre'vent tany de- '96 y ystructive actionf dueto bending'strain. i c

any other convenientmanner. .In thesarne way, the righthand partconsistsof pieces of tubinglandl 'similarly securedtogether. l'

Th'e''left handupart; may be madel ofa, singleV tube, andthe, same is true otheright hand I part-.f`Makng them inftwo layers issimply v a matter ofconvenience.' c

At 4 the centerof its length; Ath` axle 10 is AND CASPER. LfREDFIfELng-.QFgoiroeeo, y

halyes,`and having an outer diameter greater 14;. Balls 21 jare`locatedbetween the-mem# bers-19and'20, 'f

thanthe diameter of `the, axle 10;, Mounted'l on the'ring 18, islthe Ainn'ermember.1 9. of balljrace, and located b etweenthe endsoffthe` y tubeslland-*l-is the outernlemberQO which'. has'its outerace tting loosely intoth'e tube`v i and`15. areof the-saline?, 1' f length, but .the itube 1 4 is-longer thantheftubej 1 3 to which Eit is secured, whereastheftubelf i l is shorter'than the tubel: Asa-consequence,

the tube 14 overlapsa Vconsiderabler lengthot ofjnerinittingfone-wheel to turn withv resnect Ano'rdina'rfyrailvluiv Ytruck boxisfshown at* y 24.1'andeachend'ofthe axle whichfnroiects' into abox is turned down at`25'to lesw'ea'col-v Y lar2-6and k a shoulder L Between this colwedge f'llhere is alpartjSQfof the axlellar and the shoulder isl'a castingQS, which "corresponds to the lordinary brass, but isfnotl f* lubricated, and between this casting `andgthe*fk n upfpe part offthebox 24 isthe.gOrdinal1-)rv'fwn n (iii tween shoulders 27 and 31, and another part 32 between shoulder 31 and collar 33.

On each part 32 of the axle 10, are a` hardened steel ring` 34 and a hardened sleeve 35. These parts are preferably forced in place by hydraulic pressure, that is, they are forced fits on axle 10.` The tube 13 is bored out so as to leave a slight shoulder 36, and in the enlarged part is inserted a ring 37. Next is a hardened steel ring 38 and a hardened bushing 39. The bushing is preferably a forced fit, but the rings 37 and 38 are not necessarily such. Between rings 34 and 38 are balls 40.

In contact with the end of the bushing' 39, and fitting into the tube 13, is a hardened rin g 41, and outside of this is a spring ring- 42 which fits intoa corresponding recess in the tube 13.

On the part of axle 10, is a. thrust ring` 43 which encloses the parts last described and also contains packing 44 in contact with the ends of tubes 13 and 14. Between the thrust ring 43 and shoulder 27 is a small ring` 45 which may be secured solidly in place in any convenient manner.

Between the sleeve and the bushing),` 39, and enclosed by rings 34 and 41, is a cage containing a double row of hardened rollers 46. These rollers are preferably held in staggered relationship to each other in a manner well known in the art.

Within the box 24,' and screwed into the ring 43, is an oil pipe 47. Oil inserted thru pipe 47 finds its way past the roller and ball bearings and into the large storage space between the inner and outer axles.

It is to be understood that thetwo ends of the device are the same, and that a. description of one end is a description of the otherA end.

Fig. 3 illustrates another form of the same device. The salme characters will be used as far as they are applicable, but diiferent characters will be used when variations in details call for Except for details, the axle 10 isf the same as before, and the same is `true of the split ring 18 and the ball race mounted thereon.

The tubes 13 and 15 are the same before except that they are made heavier and the t o. so that tue ring 38 is on the opposite side of rin that is, the ring` 38 is nearer the cenone the length of the device than is the rinfr- The balls are supported in a case 66 between rings 34 and The sleeve and luishingr 39 are as before, except that they are made a screw 62. rl`his provides continuous metal from collar 26 to the shoulder 33, and prevents the displacement of the parts when the box 24 is not in position to furnish such strut by means of the castingl 28. lt is to be understood, of course, that the box 24 with casting 28 is to be used with the structure of 3, and that the filler 61 may be used with the struc-ture of Fig. 1. The part 61 is provided with depending lugs as shown to serve as a support for the oil pipe 47.

Enclcsing the tubes 13 and 15 of Fig. 3, is a tube 63, which isy made of tubing and which extends from wheel to wheel, and has its ends e?. endime,` into recesses formed in the hubs of the wheels over the tubes 13 and 15. ln the recess of each wheel is a packing 64 which is engaged by the end of the tube as shown. 1n one end of the tube 63 is cut lreyway 65, and in the tube 13, but not in tube 15, is a pin or feather 66 which restrains the tube 63 to turn with tube 13 while permitting; the tubes 63 and 15 to turn with respect to each other. Y

The tube 63 is an easy fiton the tubes 13 and 15, and because of its long; bearing on the inner tubes, the tit does not need to be highly accurate. Makingf the tube 63 a separate piece and an easy fit, facilitates the assembling' process;

The wheels rest upon rails `as shown in Fig. 2, and the load rests upon the parts .25 of the axle' 10. The strain of the load representedv by the arrows 67 The result'of t is load is to bend the axle 10 into a bow with the middle upward and the ends downward. But there is a ball bearingl at the middle of the length of the axle 10, and this ball bearis backed by the tubes of large diameter which are connected to the wheels. [is t-he resistance of these tubes to bending;l is many times the resistance of the axle 10, the actual bending is reduced to a negligble quantity'.

1When a car is running' on a track, it sways from side to side, and the strain due to such swaying' must be conveyed thru the wheel unitto the rail toward which the swaying occurs.- Referring to Fig. 1, when the car sways toward the right, the thrust is conveyed thru the box 24 at the left, and the parts 29 and 28 to the shoulder 27 of the axle 10, and then thru said axle to the other side. Or, if the castingV 28 is loose in its seat, then the thrust is thru'the ring 45 and parts 35 and34 to collar 33 .onthe axle. 'axle l0, itmay Abeffollowed tothe wheel by l to ring 38. It is'then conveyed thrubush-v ing 39, ring 41' and vspring ring 42 to` the V1'0 tube 13,7whieh tube is connected toy the wheel' thrust ring43 yto shoulder Also, thru Y Noting that the thrust goes .alwaysto the assuming that athrn'st comes cnfthe axle 10 from the right.' This thrust isconveyed from collar 33to ring 34, and then thru ballsl0 by Way of tube 14;' It will thus berseen that a thrustcominggfrom one side goes thru the axle l to the balls 40 on the other side, and

then to the'wheel adjacent to the balls which` receive the thrust By referringte Fig. 3 lewin beseenlthai the same result isobtained fin agsliglitly different manner. In this case, the thrust goes thru partsll, 'and 34, to the balls40, and then thru ring 38 'to tube 13.. From here it goes thru ring 20v to" tube" 15V onrwhich is secured the wheel 12.l

`25'` y goes from one side to the otherthrufthe ro- `It will thus hey seen thatiny Fig. 1, the thrust goes kfrom one side to theV other thruv thestationary axle 10,1whereas in Fig. 3,]it

' tating tubular axleL` In both cases, thethrust vis 'transferred thru ball bearings from the stationary to the rot'atingvparts. ,l y V In applying rolling bea-rings to'freight and passenger 'cars on railways,-it has beeny the practice tov place roller bearings .inthe boxes n on the trucks,andthen havethe yaxleturn f in `those bearings. In thegp'resent case we shift theroller bearings from insideof the box to inside ofthe wheel.A Inwhicheven placeythe. rollersmay be, itl is essentialthat l the bearings be capable of carrying very Y heavy loads at high speed and under pounding y'action continuously for 'considerable Iny Fig; -l the requisitev strength-is obtained by running the vrollers lengths of.y time.

between sleeve and bushing forced. in place.

. In Fig. v3 the requisite strengthis'ohtained 4 fthefball bearing at 21,maintains'thefinner` and outer axlesparallel witheach other. 'Asfby makingA thevv bearings much longer. ,This

is made possible*y by reason jof the fact that this central ball bearingV is the samefin both Fig. v1 and Fig. 3,fit:will"be evident that differently at either place.

rthe lono or short bearing `be used in,`

roller bearings, may be jused .at those other places, and as a consequence, theterm roll-` 5 ing bearings is used genericallyfor-gelther vroller or'ball bearings.'AV

' IVhatwe claim'is: f1

l. A stationarygaxle havinglitsendsadaptf- :l ed to enterthe standard railway -box without' modiiication and Vto support the Vload restingv l, it turns Vwith one the yother piece;

It will bey noticed that roller bearings are? used forloadfcarryingfat abeut the points -where the v'vheels;v are located, andthat ballffA bearings are usedv at otherA places becausethe strain is less at those other places.v However,

the `.two "axles, andrl rolling; thrustffbearings' lar4 wheelfcarryin'g l axle,l 4*roller lv bearings .be-

thereof, ,andi rolling thrust lbearings" between l the roller fb'earings and'. serving to restrain .onegaxlerfrom' moving axially with l'respec'ztj :to1the`other.i: f f

,1.2.v A 'stationary load-earryingl axle, atub'u-l" J oni-such boxesflaiffftubular:.axle transversely` divided..intotwozsections.and lsurroundingp theistationary.axlebetween;theigpartswhich l extend intothefjboxes, wheels secured'toftlieA 2 1 outer.v -r ends of said sectional-.roller rbearings y inside'of the hubs ofthev .wheelsfandbetween Y` 3. tubular "axle 'transverselyrdivided two sections,- a wheel secured -to keach section,

a'loadec'a'rryingaxle 'extending'thru' the tubuf,

d'4, tubular* axl"k transversely divided-into' y twofsect'onsfan'd 'each sectionbeingcomposed f of twopieces oftubingsecuredtogetherand: sol constructedlfthatthe fouten" tubing of Y one` y y section-"overlapsf'the inner.I tubing of .the other section, a stationary axle'extending thru the Y rolling vbearings between U 'i tubular axle, and thetwoaxles.

axle, and an enclosing `tubing surrounding :the alinedpieces andV extendingfrom kwheel Y to wheel, saidtubing'being,connected so thatv l piece andwithrespectto f Y e. A tubular exil. @empesfed'of alina pieees. of tubing, .wheels securedvto the ends Tof said glar"axl.e,rollerbearings between the'two'faxles at I about the .il places wherer` the Vwheels aref l locatedl'fand .rolling bearingl located' :be-fy L tweenv fthe roller bearings' fandfgserving 'toi l conveythrust from thelo'ad-'carrying axle 5,. Atubular axle composedoialinedpieces i oftubin'g, wheelssecured'tofthe ends ofthe', 4 i' l' roe axle,gan enclosing tubing surrounding the j p alined -piecesto retain theirv alinement and Y. v

extending fromwheelto wheel, an interior axle extending thru the vtubular axle, and

adapted to enter the standard-truck box' and engage withthe parts thereof in theordinary manner', a tubular vaxle surrounding thessta-I rus'y l 1205 tionaryk axle, wheels secured V,to the endsof 5 the tubular axle, rolling bearings betweenfthe iy axles and adj acentv to the endsof the tubularl axle, thrust rings mountedfupon the stationl ary axle and closingrthe ends of the tubular? 1*'25 axle, and oilpipes locatedwithin the'truck 1 boxes and securedto. the thrust rings to corr-y VeyV oil! to the space ybetween the two axles Y f y8. Atubular axle composed 'of' alined pieces of tubing ofv 'substantially the samef'length,

wheels secured to the outer ends of said pieces, an enclosing tubing surrounding the alined pieces and extending from wheel to wheel, and 'oilretaining packing within the hubs of the wheels and engaged by the ends of the enclosing tubing.

9. A stationary axle having its ends adapted to enter railway boxes and support a load resting on such boxes, a tubular axle surrounding the stationary axle between the prts which extend into the boxes, rolling arings between the two axles, closure means between the two axles at the ends of the tubular axle, and an oil pipe located within the box and extending thru a closure to convey lubricant to the space between the two axles.

10. A tubular axle composed of alined pieces of tubing, wheels secured to the outer ends of said pieces, an enclosing tubing extending frorn wheel to wheel and iitting upon the alined pieces to hold them in alinenient, packing connections between the ends of the enclosing tubing and the wheels, and an interior connection serving to hold said pieces from longitudinal displacement in the enclosing tubing.

ABRAM C. WISNER. CASPER L. REDFIELD. 

